Cardiac Genetics

In the advancing field of cardiovascular pharmacogenomics, Apollo Hospitals take the lead in establishing state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Genetic Testing taking a quantum leap in precision medicine in India and abroad. As an advanced medical centre, our highly specialised cardiac-genetics team provides all-encompassing cardiovascular care through genetic testing for personalised medical management of various cardiovascular conditions, mainly inherited cardiac diseases.

Relevance of Cardiac Genetic Testing in India

In India, clinical studies have shown a 10.5% prevalence of cardiovascular diseases with an elevated health risk of 21.4% in diabetic patients. Within this population, congenital heart diseases have been observed in about 2 to 6 per 1000 live births. This data exhibits the hereditary nature of certain cardiovascular conditions, meaning that they run in families. Thus, with the help of cardiac genetic testing, we can determine the risk of individuals being exposed to cardiovascular diseases. Equipped with this knowledge and the exceptional cardiac care provided by our Cardiovascular Genetic Testing program team, we can ensure comprehensive assessment, prevention, and complete medical management for all forms of inherited cardiovascular diseases.

Testing for Genetic Heart Conditions: When to Consider Testing?

At Apollo Hospitals, our Cardiovascular Genetic Testing team specialises in screening individuals with suspected or diagnosed inherited conditions causing various aortic diseases. To diagnose inherited cardiovascular conditions, our team employs cardiovascular imaging and molecular genetic testing supported by physical examination of the patient. These tests enable our team of cardiologists to provide individualised treatment, which is now increasingly driven by genetic diagnosis.

Our Cardiovascular Genetic Testing program inculcates the best advanced diagnostic testing and the latest treatment techniques for inherited cardiovascular diseases. We offer genetic testing focusing on genetic information to guide clinical decisions for situations like:

• Congenital heart disease case: Testing for a patient who has a congenital heart disease, that is, they are born with a heart condition or defect.
• Family history of cardiovascular diseases: Testing for a patient whose family history includes cases of unexplained or sudden episodes of cardiac arrest or death.
• Diagnosed cardiovascular disease risk factors: Testing for patients who have been diagnosed with different cardiovascular risk factors or conditions that have a genetic link, including:
  • Heart failure in patients younger than 60
  • Enlarged heart
  • High cholesterol levels
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Early heart attack
  • Enlarged aorta

Areas of Care

Under Apollo Hospitals’ Cardiovascular Genetic Testing program, we offer a comprehensive range of services spanning from preconception planning to medical therapy under the care of a multidisciplinary team of highly experienced medical specialists. We work closely with patients and their families to identify any risk factors for specific cardiovascular conditions so that we can actively take preventive measures. Our team of medical professionals is committed to providing expert care and establishing new best practices for treating and preventing a wide range of inherited cardiovascular conditions.

Cardiovascular Genetic Conditions Evaluated

Within the scope of the medical expertise to diagnose and treat the various inherited cardiovascular diseases, we are adept at evaluating conditions like:

• Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
• Long QT Syndrome (LQTS)
• Short QT Syndrome (SQTS)
• Brugada Syndrome (BS)
• Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT)
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• (DCM)
• Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM)
• Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD)
• Left Ventricular Non-Compaction (LVNC)
• Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

Apart from employing state-of-the-art diagnostics for genetic testing and providing prognosis and treatment of cardiovascular genetic diseases, our multidisciplinary team of extensively experienced doctors also advocates patient education and engages in deliberations with their families to help them understand their individual risk factors and partake in the decision-making process with the help of appropriate information.

Comprehensive Cardiac Genetic Testing Services

Our Cardiac Genetic Testing program offers all-around cardiovascular care encompassing genetic testing and personalised medical management for all inherited cardiovascular diseases. We aim to minimise the chances of cardiac issues and prevent future complications.

Diagnostic Services

The first step towards comprehensive medical management of inherited cardiovascular diseases is precise diagnosis to differentiate between hereditary conditions and other non-genetic heart problems. During diagnosis, we can identify patterns of hereditary cardiac conditions within the family and further evaluate the risk of cardiovascular conditions among the patient’s immediate family members.

Hereditary Risk Evaluation

Supported by the information available from cardiovascular imaging tests, and patient’s medical records, genetic testing can be recommended to identify specific genetic mutations associated with a cardiovascular disease running in the family. Genetic testing can also help identify gene abnormalities in a patient with a cardiovascular condition. We are continuously working to improve and evolve the processes of gene testing procedures so that we can guide our patients through the most critical and appropriate treatment for their conditions.

Personalised Medical Management & Genetic Counseling

Patient and family education is essential to ensure that patients can make informed decisions regarding their treatment. Our Genetic counsellors are skilled at helping patients understand their risks and guiding them by discussing the genetic test results with their families. Their involvement can steer our treatment efforts towards success.

Our Cardiac Genetic Testing team curates a personalised treatment plan that focuses on the alleviating of symptoms while minimising the risk of future diseases. If an underlying cause has been identified, our team members will devise a medical management plan based on what’s known about the patient’s condition and the gene identified. To enhance the effectiveness of our treatment efforts, our cardiologists can recommend personalised doses of drugs based on DNA sequence data on predictive drug response.

Preventive Medicine

Prevention of inherited cardiovascular diseases is one of the key goals of our Cardiac Genetic Testing program. Due to the inherited nature of certain cardiovascular conditions, we encourage availing of our preventive treatment options. We also encourage genetic testing for specific cardiovascular conditions so that if any person has been identified as falling in the high-risk category, personalised recommendations can be made to lower their risk.

Cardiac Genetic Testing Program at Apollo Hospitals

Our cardiac genetic testing program at Apollo Hospitals is led by renowned cardiologists and assisted by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals from various specialities and subspecialties. We are committed to providing patient-centric, world-class genetic testing and healthcare services that target and treat several inherited cardiovascular diseases in our patients. Our team is backed by advanced medical equipment and equally capable support staff, tirelessly striving to deliver curative and preventive medical management measures with the primary goal of patient comfort.